Dhaka Bureau: A 5-member delegation headed by US Indo-Pacific Command Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. Joshua M. Rudd visited Bangladesh from November 6 to 8. The high-level visit was held with the aim of improving bilateral relations and capacity building of the armed forces. The issues of mutual cooperation and enhancement of professional skills, joint efforts in humanitarian assistance and disaster management (EADR) between the armed forces of both the countries were specially discussed during the visit. During this visit, Deputy Commander General Raad had a courtesy meeting with Bangladesh Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman and Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Department Lt. Gen. SM Kamrul Hasan.
Also, the delegation held a meeting with Commandant of National Defense College, Mirpur, Lt. Gen. Mohammad Shahinul Haque. In the bilateral talks, the issue of organizing joint exercises and implementation of joint training was discussed in order to create opportunities for increasing mutual cooperation.
The delegation participated in a briefing session on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Management organized by the Army Headquarters, where the challenges and capabilities in dealing with natural disasters in the Indo-Pacific region were discussed.
Disaster preparedness and capacity building initiatives and joint ventures for rapid recovery activities in times of crisis are important. It is to be noted that this visit is expected to play an important role in strengthening bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the United States and working together to address regional security and humanitarian challenges.
